Authors to Note: Jojo Moyes

It's been a while since I've done one of these spotlight posts of my favourite authors but with my most recent read competed I definitely felt like I needed to highlight Jojo Moyes as someone you need to read. It actually makes me happy that I've only read three of her novels as there is more goodness for me to continue with this year! Here are my favourite titles by this amazing author and a few I'm planning on picking up soon.

Me Before You :: The book that started it all, Me Before You is a beautifully written heartwarming and heartbreaking novel about Louisa, adrift in her mid-twenties with no real idea of what she wants out of life. That is until she meets Will, a quadriplegic who will turn her life upside down. I don't want to say too much about the plot of this book (and it's follow up either) but oh man this had me bawling and I'm really not much of a cryer when it comes to reading. This is definitely a small book with a big heart and will make you consider what it really means to live.

The Girl You Left Behind :: One painting, two women, one hundred years apart. Yep, I'm pretty sure the ending of this book made me want to cry too. In 1914 Edouard Lefevre paints his beautiful wife Sophie before he leaves for the front lines of the war. In 2014 Liv Halston is determined to hold onto the beautiful painting her husband bought for their wedding anniversary before his death. I loved the strong female characters in this book and had so much hope for both Sophie and Liv who are both fighting for their survival.

After You :: The follow up novel to Me Before You, Louisa is struggling after caring for Will. As Louisa slowly tries to turn her life back around the possibility of a new relationship might be derailed by a visitor from Will's past. I was so so pleased when I found out there was a follow up novel to Me Before You and picking up with Louisa felt like a natural continuation from the previous novel. I had so much hope for Louisa to be happy once again and although Jojo Moyes isn't one for cliched happy endings I thought she fully delivered on this one.

On My Reading List :: The One Plus One, The Last Letter From Your Lover, The Ship of Brides and Honeymoon in Paris.

Have you read any of Jojo Moyes novels?

Authors to Note: J K Rowling

When I think about it and count it out on my fingers, JK Rowling is probably my most read author. With seven Harry Potter books, one work of fiction and two crime novels under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith that's TEN books from one author and yet I've never thought about including her in an Author to Note post. I guess having one of the most popular series in history I would assume all you good people are on the level with JK. But you never know. I do come from a family of five where I'm still the only one who has read Harry Potter. Yeah. I. Know. Right?!

Anyway, if you are one of those people who have not experienced the delightful magic of Harry Potter then please do yourself a favour and pick up The Philosopher's Stone pronto. For everyone else we can move onto her other books. To be entirely honest I was not a big fan of The Casual Vacancy. I was so excited when this book was released but it really was a bit of a let down. Give it a go if you like but if that doesn't tickle your fancy lets move on to where Rowling's writing continues to shine: as Robert Galbraith.

The Cuckoos Calling and The Silkworm are two of my favourite crime fiction books and I'm super excited that a third in this series is being released this October. Happy days! Ex-soldier Coromoran Strike and his capable assistant Robin are characters that I have loved seeing evolve from one book to the next and fans new to the genre will be sure to love these books just as much. It's definitly interesting seeing Rowling's writing get a little bit grittier writing crime fiction.

Authors to Note: Nick Hornby

This month for my 'Author' spotlight I thought I would focus on an author who has written one of my most favourite novels - High Fidelity - but who is also an author I haven't explored much outside of this one novel. The more I've read or heard about Nick Hornby's books the more I've added to my TBR book list. Here are my picks which I'll be adding and hopefully reading very soon:

High Fidelity: One of my favourite and probably most-read books in my collection. High Fidelity is as much a book about great music as it is about relationships. Failing record-store owner Rob explores his record collection and his past relationships after a breakup with his current girlfriend. Hilarious to read, Rob is both arrogant and hopelessly immature yet Nick Hornby has that knack of making us want to befriend him anyway.

About A Boy: I adore the movie starring Hugh Grant so I'm sure the novel will be just as good if not better. If there is one thing that I think Nick Hornby is fantastic at it's taking flawed and somewhat arsehole-ish characters and making them not only relatable but likeable. This is the tale of an unlikely friendship between perpetual man-child Will and Marcus a 12-year-old who probably couldn't get any less cool.

Long Way Down: Martin, JJ, Jess and Maureen are four very different individuals with one thing in common. They meet - unmeaningly - on the rooftop of a London building on New Years Eve, each with a plan to kill themselves. Instead of going through with their intentions, they make a pact to help each other through the next six months and if nothing has improved in their lives they'll then take the final plunge from the rooftop. Touching, funny and moving, this novel explores what has lead these four lost souls into considering ending their lives and the power of hope and friendship.

Funny Girl: Set in the 1960s Sophie Straw has successfully made the transition from Blackpool beauty queen to nationally adored comedy star. But when the scripts start to become too much like real life each member of their cast and crew will face a decision to stay with the show or move on. For Sophie, television fame is all she has ever dreamed of and a return to the streets of Blackpool would be unthinkable, but will the future have Sophie's name up in lights?

New Authors On My Reading List

Eliza Gordon. It was originally the quirky title and cute cover of 'Must Love Otters' that caught my attention on Goodreads and after reading the blurbs of this book and 'Neurotica,' I now have two e-books at the very top of my want to read list. Gordon writes contemporary romance novels and her twenty-something-year-old heroines trying to figure out their lives/jobs/relationships is definitely something I can relate to. I do much prefer romance books that promise to be funny rather than overly sweet and the descriptions alone for both of these novels sound great.

In 'Must Love Otters' Hollie Porter is a disillusioned 25-year-old with a shitty job and a boyfriend who's wrong for her. When Holly hits her breaking point on a 911 shift she cashes in a spa certificate from her Dad to a couples retreat, except this time she's going solo. With dreams of finding her beloved otters in the wild Holly instead goes from one misadventure to the next.

Neurotica sounds equally as entertaining. Jayne Dandy, Star Wars lover, obituary writer and rubber ducky fan is an intimacy phobe. When her therapist suggests writing erotica as a form of exposure Jayne begins writing a naughty novel. Unexpectedly laid off at work Jayne publishes her book -under a pseudonym - to earn extra cash. Meanwhile her best friend and owner of food truck Luke Piewalkers (ha genius) hires Jayne to help in the kitchen. Now Jayne is fighting to keep her writing a secret as well as growing chemistry between her and Luke.

Jan Moran is an author I follow on Twitter and her novel 'Scent of Triumph' had me at the beautiful cover. A historical romance that combines passion and perfume from Paris to Los Angeles, this novel sounds like a beautiful and epic tale. After escaping Poland with the threat of war on their doorstep French perfumer Danielle Bretancourt searches for her family across Europe. With what remains of her family intact Danielle flees to Los Angeles to make a new life for herself. From working lowly jobs to becoming perfumer and fashion designer to the Hollywood elite Danielle's rags to riches story is one of a determined and gritty woman who dreams of success.

Authors to Note: Kate Morton

Australian author Kate Morton is one of my favourite authors for historical fiction. Her books always have a lovely mix of past and present stories which harbour a myriad of mysteries and secrets. I always find myself rushing to devour her rich descriptions and uncover the answers hidden amongst the pages. I think part of the appeal is the way she often combines these stories into family dramas, of secrets once hidden long ago only to be discovered by another generation. Her books have sparked images of Downton Abbey and Atonement in my mind and I think fans of this period of time will really enjoy her novels. Here are three of my favourite Kate Morton books:

The Forgotten Garden. Cassandra, grieving for her much loved grandmother Nell feels as if she has lost everything important to her. When a mysterious bequest from Nell is bestowed upon Cassandra it throws up questions about her family that she never knew she needed answers to. Travelling to England, the birthplace of her grandmother Cassandra is on a quest to discover who Nell really was. Aided by a book of dark fairytales that belonged to her grandmother, Cassandra is determined to find out the truth about her family's past. But what she doesn't realise is she will also discover a new future for herself in the process.

The House at Riverton. In the summer of 1924 two sisters Hannah and Emmeline Hartford witness the suicide of a young poet. The event would be the last time the girls ever spoke to one another again. Over seventy years later Grace Bradley, once a maid at Riverton Manor, is interviewed about the young poet's life for a documentary. Secrets, memories and ghosts, all pushed aside now come crashing back. What does Grace know about the girls and the suicide that threatens to come spilling out?

The Secret Keeper. Set between 1961 and 2011, Laurel spends her sixteenth summer in her childhood tree house dreaming of boys and moving to swinging London. But one sweltering day she witnesses a shocking crime that will change her family forever. Now grown, Laurel is a successful actress but is still haunted by the memories of that summers day. Unable to move on she returns to her family farm intent to make sense of what she witnesses that day. What Laurel discovers is an unexpected story tying three strangers Dorothy, Vivien and Jimmy together by chance during wartime London.

Have you read anything by Kate Morton? If you are a fan of historical fiction I suggest you check these titles out!

Authors to Note: Jeffrey Eugenides

Jeffrey Eugenides has always been an author that I have been in awe of. His capacity for writing books that pull the reader in and immerse them completely is what always has me excited about his novels. Here are my favourite books by this accomplished author.

Middlesex. This really is an epic novel. Although the story begins with a young girl who will soon journey through pubescence and into boyhood to truly understand his journey Eugenides takes us back through his parents and grandparents story. Despite it's scope Eugenides paints a clear picture of the struggles of a young boy born into the wrong body and his unusual path into manhood.

Virgin Suicides. One of my favourite ever novels, the writing in this book is so dreamy and etheral it creates a picture encased in fog in your mind. The story of five daughters who are housebound by their strict parents after pushing the boundaries on their severe curfews. When the youngest daughter commits suicide the sisters suffer even more greatly from their oppressive parents. The story is told from the point of view of the boys in their neighbourhood who feel compelled to save them and adds to the mystery surrounding this odd family and their daughters.

Have you read any of Jeffrey Eugenides work?

Two Authors I'm Adding To My Reading List

Ben Elton and Kate Mosse are two authors whose names I've seen on bookshelves many times before but I've never actually made the effort to read anything from. With both these authors releasing books recently that have my interest piqued I thought it was time to take a look at their past works.

Ben Elton. The book that has me intrigued is Time and Time Again, a historically set book about time travel which I'm totally loving the sound of. Elton is better know for his books that take on popular culture and satirically analysing it in a humourous and thought provoking way. Elton is also well known for his contributions to television and theatre as he has written scripts for some of the best comedy and musical theater that has been performed which often comes through in his writing. I'm looking forward to adding Dead Famous, Popcorn and High Society to my reading list.

Kate Mosse. Author of The Taxidermists Daughter a historical fiction novel which mixes murder and mystery Kate Mosse is an author I have never thought to explore before. Mosse's books The Winter Ghosts and Labyrinth are both set in the Pyranese mountains and have a past and present setting within their plot lines as well as an air of adventure about them.

Havve you read anything from Kate Mosse or Ben Elton before?

Authors To Note: Tracy Chevalier

When it comes to historical fiction (my favourite of genres to read) you really can't look further than Tracy Chevalier. Here are my favourite books from this much loved author:

Girl With A Pearl Earring. I mentioned in my favourites bookshelf that this is one of my most adored books of all time. The story captures the mundane and everyday life of a dutch servant girl who captures the eye of master painter Johannes Vermeer. This book whole heartedly captured my imagination and transported me fully into its 16th century surroundings.

Burning Bright. Thomas Kellaway and his family move from rural Dorset to the bustling streets of  London. Chevalier mixes history with fiction as she includes characters from real life including Philip Astley and William Blake, but it's her descriptions of London life, it's packed streets and colourful inhabitants that really bring this book to life.

Remarkable Creatures. The story of two women who make remarkable discoveries of fossils, buried beneath the earth millions of years ago. In an age where women weren't involved in the scientific community Chevalier's female characters fight to have their discoveries noticed and accredited to them.

Falling Angels. Chevalier captures the suffragette movement as women fought for the right to vote. Told from multiple points of view Falling Angels captures the difficulties in this mother-daughter relationship and the careful balance relationships are built on.

Have you read anything by Tracy Chevalier?

Author Discussion: Jodi Picoult

Having just finished reading Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult I was going to include her as an 'author of note' for this month. However on closer review of some of her past books I realised that I have quite mixed feelings about some of her novels. Therefore this months Author to Note has been turned into an Author Discussion, lets address the good and the bad shall we?

If you love reading about topics that spark debate, thought and tackle big ideas than Picoult is a must-read. She's also an author who loves exploring complex ideas from multiple points of view. There always seems to be so much more to her characters than just good or bad, as Picoult prefers to shows us her characters faults as well as their strengths. I always feel that her books encompass the many shades of grey that issues in life often are rather than being black or white.

Many of her books would be great recommendations for a book club or just for a read that makes you think and I'm always left questioning the outcome of her novels. For better or worse I do love a book that makes me question the characters and their actions. What I love about her books is that the story is never quite as straight forward as you first think, there is always some twist at the end to keep you guessing or a revelation that completely changes your view of the characters she portrays.

The not so good part? Sometimes I feel if you've read one Jodi Picoult novel you may as well have read them all. (Nineteen Minutes I think is an exception, if you are going to read one read that!) Her novels can be very formulaic and seem to always include a suffering mother who doesn't always make the right decisions for her family, a courtroom drama and an annoyingly convenient love story that distracts from the main point of the book and doesn't really add anything of value.

Here are my favourite Jodi Picoult picks:

Nineteen Minutes: In nineteen minutes the lives of the students at Sterling High will never be the same again as 17-year-old Peter Houghton unleashes a massacre on his fellow students. There's no doubt as to his role in the shooting but the students and teacher who died that day were not the only victims.

My Sisters Keeper: Anna is conceived to save the life of her sick sister Kate. By age thirteen she has undergone multiple surgeries and become almost as sick at times as her sister who has leukemia. When Anna is asked to donate a kidney to her sister, a major operation with serious side-effects Anna decides to fight for her right to control her own body, a move that will tear her already broken family apart.

And in my opinion one to avoid:

Keeping Faith: In the middle of her parents divorce seven-year-old Faith White starts hearing divine voices, developing a stigmata and the ability to heal people. In the midst of a custody battle, Faith is thrust into a media circus surrounding whether her abilities are real or not. I actually really liked this book until the ending which pretty much clarified nothing for me!

What do you think of Jodi Picoult's novels - are you a fan or not?

Authors to Note: Joanne Harris

A few years ago now, a little book by the name of Chocolat was released and set the world alight for Joanne Harris. Chocolat would have to be my standout pick of her work but there is also plenty more on offer from this author who made us fall in love with chocolate and gave the world the gift that was Johnny Depp playing Roux in the film version. (If you are wondering I think the while the film is brilliant the book is even better.) If you haven't read Chocolat - a new visitor to a small French town Vianne Rocher causes a stir when she opens a chocolate shop in the town during the lead up to lent. It's a beautifully written story that mixes magic realism with drool worthy confectionary descriptions.

Five Quarters of the Orange, Blackberry Wine, Chocolat and The Lollipop Shoes (also known as The Girl with No Shadow, it's the follow up to Chocolat) are all standouts. A lot of Harris' books are set in small villages in France and being half French half English herself, perhaps that is where her love of food comes from.

Defintely books to check out if like me you love reading about food. Harris has the ability to weave a touching story around the lives of her idyllic villagers all the while having you hungering for something to eat.

Have you read any of Joanne Harris' books?

Authors to Note: Cormac McCarthy

Beautiful, brutal, tender, and sometimes bleak, I don't know many writers who can elicit such a range of emotions in one book and yet, for all of these emotions that Cormac McCarthy infuses into his novels there is a real subtlety to how he tells his stories, a quiet sense of something much stronger that lurks into your subconscious long after reading. I was blown away by the beauty of All the Pretty Horses, the story of John Grady Cole, a young Texan rancher who rides across the boarder into Mexico with his younger brother. There is something timeless about this book, the landscape of the Mexican border is as much a character as John Grady and his brother and with little to reference to anything other than the land and other people and villages they pass there is very little to suggest the time that they inhibit.

I think my favourite thing about reading a Cormac McCarthy novel is they way he writes dialect. No punctuation, his Southern talkin' drawlin' characters come right off the page, it almost feels like reading a screenplay or a script, I can hear the character saying their lines. This is like the antithesis to every flowery overly-wordy descriptive novel ever written and it adds such a realness to the characters coming alive.

In No Country For Old Men, Llewellyn Moss comes across a drug deal gone wrong. With dead bodies littering the scene, a pickup filled with heroin and $2million unclaimed, Llewelllyn takes the money and heads on the run. Violent, unpredictable and utterly thrilling.

Cormac McCarthy is an author who isn't afraid to throw something unexpected at his audience. All I can say is try not to get too attached to any characters, as there isn't always a happy ending. The harsh landscapes of Southern Texas, where most of his novels are set is reflected within his characters. A harsh climate breeds a harsh life and McCarthy doesn't seem to have a lot of sentimentality in keeping his characters alive just to satisfy a happy ending. But in a landscape where life is hard, hope is also a strong element.

Have you read any novels by Cormac McCarthy?

Authors to Note: Marian Keyes

Last month I brought you a favourite crime author and this month I've decided to profile an author from an entirely different genre; one of my favourite chick-lit writers. I have to admit my hate for the naming of this genre as it sort of implies airy fairy women's stories about love and shopping and not much else, but I know that you know there are so many absolute gems of this genre to read.

Marian Keyes manages to take a blimmin' whopper of a subject matter - say alcoholism, infidelity, bereavement and not only shape heart warming stories around them, she somehow manages to make these subjects relatable, realistic and completely un-daunting to explore not to mention that her books are ridiculously hilarious and will make you snort with laughter one minute and want to cry the next.

My favourite book from Marian Keyes is Rachel's Holiday. Good-times girl Rachel's hard partying ways catch up with her when she finds herself forcibly checked into a rehab centre after a near overdose. Despite the heavy subject matter, this is both a funny and touching story as Rachel faces her demons.

I would thoroughly recommend checking out the Welsh family series of books which chronicle four Irish sisters (each book is a different sisters story); Watermelon, Rachel's Holiday, Angel and Anybody Out There. This Charming Man, The Other Side of the Story and Sushi For Beginners are also some of my favourites of hers.

For an author who writes predominantly in the chick-lit genre her books will delight both fans of the genre and (i'm sure) those that wouldn't pick up a pink book cover with a barge pole. Not only do her books have heart and tackle some pretty serious subject matters they are also a lot of fun to read.

Authors to Note: Dennis Lehane

Welcome to a new series where I will introduce one of my favourite authors every month and talk about my favourite picks of their books to check out. Whenever I read a great book I always like to see what other offerings that author has written as well and because of this habit I have so many great authors to mention that hopefully will inspire you the next time you need some reading inspiration.

Many people are probably familiar with the movies Dennis Lehane's novels have been made into, including Gone Baby Gone, Mystic River and Shutter Island (and if you haven't definitely watch them as they are all brilliant in their own right) but may not known that all of those titles were actually novels before they were adapted to the big screen.

Lehane's take on crime/thriller fiction is dark and gritty with utterly realistic characters and unpredictable plots that will have you guessing and reguessing all the way along. From psychological thrillers to detective stories his novels often head into dark and uncomfortable territories that will have you on the edge of your seat and firmly chewing your fingernails. I'm not a big fan of scary horror-like crime/thriller novels but Lehane's novels have just the right amount of creep to them without making you want to sleep all night with the light on. For every crime book that has finished with a let-down, a predictable plot or a nicely stitched up story line, Lehane's novels are much more sophisticated than that, but it's the so-real it's depressing characters and neighbourhoods they inhabit that really bring his stories to life.

It was actually Lehane's foray into a different genre that had me hooked on his books to begin with (and also suprised that he was the same author behind Shutter Island). The Given Day has firmly earned its place as one of my favourite historical novels. The novel set amongst the unionising working classes of Boston in 1919 is a far-cry from his previous books subject matter but one that still had me glued to its pages.

If you are a fan of the movie versions or just looking for a gripping novel Lehane's books will not leave you disappointed. Have you read anything by Dennis Lehane?